News and Developments

News and Developments

(1) ERA joins Federation Against Copyright Theft (posted 6 May 2008)

Promoting a better understanding of what is, and what is not permitted under ERA Licences is central to the work of ERA.

However, with increasing use of online technologies to help make licensed ERA recordings available for educational use, ERA is aware that some recordings of broadcasts may be being used in ways that do not fall within the scope of the ERA licence.

Unauthorised use may arise when individuals or companies who are not licensed educational establishments store or make available to others copies of recordings of broadcasts.

ERA has therefore joined with FACT to help promote a better understanding of the scope of the ERA and the new ERA Plus Licence.

Inspections for licence compliance have always been a part of ERA licence requirements. These now need to be developed to reflect increasing use of servers to house libraries of off-air recordings and the way in which these are made available for educational use.

FACT representatives may therefore contact ERA licensees and check licence compliance in a similar way to visits that are made by ERA's Field Liaison officers.

For further information about FACT and its work please visit www.fact-uk.org.uk

(2) New Members recognised in Statutory Instrument (posted 1 May 2008)

The admission of AGICOA and Directors UK Limited (formerly known as DPRS) as ERA members was formally recognised from 1 April 2008 in The Copyright (Certification of Licensing Scheme for Educational Recording of Broadcasts) (Educational Recording Agency Limited) (Revocation and Amendment) Order 2008.

A copy of the Order (S.I 2008 No 211) can be found at www.opsi.gov.uk

The effect is to confirm a further extension of the rights represented by ERA for the purposes of its Licences.

The new Order now lists all the ERA members in a new clause which replaces clause 8 of the Schedule to the 2007 Order (S.I 2007 No.266).

Other than this, the terms of the 2007 Order remain in force. The 2007 Order set out the tariffs which apply to ERA Licences issued after 1 April 2008.

Finally the 2008 Order revoked the Statutory Instrument linked to the ERA licence scheme that was put in place back in 2005 (S.I. 2005 No 222). The 2005 Order was relevant to ERA Licences issued up to 31 March 2007 and has therefore been superseded by the 2007 and 2008 Orders.

(3) New Members (posted 28 August 2007)

ERA continues to work to ensure the rights that it represents enable ERA Licences (and the recently launched ERA Plus Licence) to cover the widest possible repertoire for the benefit of licensees.

To reflect this, two new representative rights bodies have joined ERA as members with effect from 1 July 2007.

The two new members are :-

1. AGICOA (representing owners of feature film rights and independent films where rights are not owned or controlled by UK broadcaster members of ERA) ; and

2. DPRS (representing directors of films and television programmes).

All the other ERA members have agreed to admit the new members from 1 July 2007 so that ERA licensees who choose to take out an ERA Plus Licence will benefit from ERA’s increased repertoire with effect from this date.

However, it will take a little time before the Statutory Instrument under which the main ERA licence scheme currently operates, is updated to include details of the new members.

The current Statutory Instrument is SI 2007 No 266 - The Copyright (Certification of Licensing Scheme for Educational Recording of Broadcasts) (Educational Recording Agency Limited) Order 2007.

An application has been made for SI 2007 No 266 to be updated. This requests that clause 8 of the ERA Licence is changed to include the following additional details for Licensor Members of ERA :-

“ASSOCIATION DE GESTON INTERNATIONALE COLLECTIVE DES OEUVRES AUDIOVISUELLES (“AGICOA ”) The films which are owned or controlled by persons represented by AGICOA and which are included in any broadcast from which an ERA Recording is made.

DIRECTORS’ & PRODUCERS’ RIGHTS SOCIETY (1992) LIMITED (“DPRS”) The copyright works which are owned or controlled by, or in which authorship is owned or controlled by, persons represented by DPRS and which are included in any broadcast from which an ERA Recording is made.”

The ERA Licence will be formally amended once the updated Statutory Instrument has been implemented.

(4) ERA Plus (posted August 2007)

Click here for more information on ERA Plus

(5) From 1 April 2007

ERA licences issued after 1 April 2007 reflect new tariffs set out in The Copyright (Certification of Licensing Scheme for Educational Recording of Broadcasts) (Educational Recording of Broadcasts) (Educational Recording Agency Limited) Order 2007.

The full order can be obtained from HMSO quoting the reference Statutory Instruments 2007 No. 266.

For licences issued prior to 1 April 2007, the terms will continue to operate to the end of their 1 year term by cross reference to The Copyright (Certification of Licensing Scheme for Educational Recording of Broadcasts) (Educational Recording Agency Limited) Order 2005.

The 2005 Order can be obtained from HMSO quoting the reference Statutory Instruments 2005 No. 222.

(6) DVD Labels

DVD labels are now available to order. Contact ERA for more details.

(7) ERA Snapshot Survey

The ERA Statistical Survey of Off-air Recording in Educational Establishments has now been completed. In its place, ERA is now conducting a much smaller scale snapshot survey of off-air recording. This will enable ERA to build up a more detailed picture of use of recorded broadcast material in individual establishments using both statistical and anecdotal information.

(8) Copyright Information for Schools - New Booklet

As members of the Schools Working Group of the Rights Industry Forum, ERA has produced, in conjunction with five other organisations (Performing Right Society, Copyright Licensing Agency, Phonographic Performance Limited, Christian Copyright Licensing (Europe) Ltd, Mechanical Copyright Protection Society and Music Publishers Association), a booklet giving guidance on copyright matters to schools in the UK.

This booklet has now been redesigned and contains updated information on many kinds of activities that may require a copyright licence. Copies of the leaflet have been mailed to the Headteacher and Chair of Governors of every school in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Further copies are available to ERA Licence holders. A portal website has been developed to support the leaflet and can be accessed at www.licensing-copyright.org

To download a copy of the booklet please click here....